In the summer of 2022, a fatal encounter unfolded in the parking lot of a Colorado Springs apartment complex, leaving two men dead and a community searching for answers. On the evening of Wednesday, July 13, 2022, officers from the Colorado Springs Police Department were dispatched to the Incline Apartments on Sinton Road following reports of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered a grim scene. One adult male, later identified as 37-year-old Russell Morgan Basham, was found deceased.
A second man, 46-year-old Antonio Bonner, was found with gunshot wounds and transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The subsequent investigation by the CSPD's Violent Crimes Homicide/Assault Unit pieced together the events that led to the tragic outcome. It was determined that Basham and Bonner had engaged in a verbal argument in the parking lot of the apartment complex. The dispute escalated, culminating in both men drawing firearms and shooting each other. The El Paso County Coroner's Office conducted autopsies on both men and ruled their deaths as homicides. These were recorded as the 29th and 30th homicide investigations in the city of Colorado Springs for that year.
In the aftermath of the incident, authorities confirmed that there were no outstanding suspects, and they did not believe there was any ongoing danger to the community. The investigation concluded that the deaths were the result of the altercation between the two men, and no arrests were made in connection with the case. Russell Morgan Basham, a United States Army veteran who served for 13 years in psychological operations, was survived by his wife and daughter.
